Sarah Henderson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Communications) Share this | Hansard source

Today I wish to put on the record the clear choice the people of Aston face this Saturday in selecting their next member of parliament. If elected on Saturday, the Liberal Party's Roshena Campbell would be a very strong voice for the people of Aston. I had the honour of talking to local residents with Roshena at Scoresby and Rowville shopping centres in recent weeks. We heard firsthand about the local impact of our cost-of-living crisis, driven by nine increases in interest rates and a record inflation rate, all since the election of Labor. Not only have power and gas bills gone up under Labor but Labor have also broken a raft of promises by changing the rules for superannuation, by claiming real wages would rise under Labor when they simply haven't, on franking credits, and much more.

Just as concerning for local residents in Aston is Labor's dumping of a number of local road and rail projects in their first budget, just six months ago. Labor cut funding for vital upgrades like the Wellington Road and Napoleon Road duplications, the Dorset Road extension and the Rowville rail project. They also removed money set aside by the former coalition government for the vital East West Link, and reports have emerged that more local road project funding is on the chopping block in the next budget.

Voters in Melbourne's outer east need to send Labor and Prime Minister Albanese a very clear message: this is not good enough. The Liberals' Roshena Campbell knows how to get things done. She is a barrister, a councillor and a mum. She knows how to fight hard. She did it as a solicitor following the Black Saturday bushfires. She will fight hard if she is elected as the next member for Aston.